Collective Punishment

Early winter sunlight filtered through the glass window, spilling across the tabletop.

Yue Shi sat by the window in a restaurant, a few dishes laid out before him, though his attention was entirely focused on his phone screen.

He had logged into the Supernatural Forum.

The interface refreshed, and the video of Su Yuanhe being tortured—which he had Ghost post earlier—was prominently displayed in the trending section. The click-through rate and comment count were climbing at a staggering speed.

Because the video inevitably captured his own face clearly.

Combined with his highly recognizable features and terrifying titles like "New S-Rank Wanted Criminal" and "Culprit of Chijing City's Destruction," he had become a focal point overnight.

Countless people were following Yue Shi, which in turn drove even more curious users to click on the bloody video Ghost had uploaded.

Online, the name "Yue Shi" was being discussed with unprecedented intensity.

Most of the comments were curses and condemnations, calling him a "butcher," a "demon," and an "anti-human lunatic."

Yet, unexpectedly, a small portion of people completely ignored his crimes. Purely infatuated with his looks, they flooded the comment section with obsessive praise and fawning remarks.

"Tsk. These days, there really are a lot of people who let their attraction dictate their morals,"

Yue Shi thought with a sense of wicked amusement. If he started a livestream now and just showed his face, he would probably attract a massive audience immediately and become a phenomenon-level influencer.

A notorious, infamous influencer.

Of course, more self-proclaimed rational netizens were busy analyzing Yue Shi's strength.

The fact that he could cause the fall of a major city single-handedly, regardless of the methods used, was a feat that commanded the highest level of wariness from every major faction.

Yue Shi's finger slid across the screen, browsing the eclectic mix of comments.

When Ghost posted the video, he had included a brief text description exposing the crimes of Lab 0's illegal human experimentation, Su Yuanhe's identity, and the Glory Association and elite families behind it all.

The comment section was split into several factions engaged in heated debate.

Some felt he was slandering the Glory Association.

Others cheered him on, claiming that the scum involved in illegal human experimentation deserved exactly what they got.

There was also a group of people who rewatched Su Yuanhe's agony in the video, making jokes and posting unspeakable fantasies.

A video like this inevitably attracted some deviants. In the eyes of certain people with specific fetishes, being tormented by such a handsome man was practically a dream come true, and they posted comments wanting to worship him.

Watching these chaotic remarks, the corners of Yue Shi's mouth curled into a satisfied arc.

The effect was good.

The more the public opinion fermented and the more attention it drew, the more it would prick the sensitive nerves of the Su family.

He wondered if the big shots of the Su family were furious right now.

What would a thoroughly enraged family do?

They likely wouldn't let this go. They would certainly pursue Yue Shi relentlessly.

This was exactly what Yue Shi wanted to see.

It would be best if they all came to him one by one to die, saving him the effort of digging them out himself.

Of course, the comment section wasn't without warnings.

"Bro, you're a legend! But the Su family isn't to be trifled with. Better run while you can."

"You've struck at the Su family's foundation. They'll definitely use everything they have to retaliate. Be careful."

Yue Shi didn't believe in the kindness of strangers, so he dismissed these comments as the work of hired shills.

With a light chuckle, he picked up his juice and shifted his gaze from the screen to the window.

Across the street stood an unremarkable three-story building.

The building was somewhat aged, and a specialized containment vehicle was parked at the entrance. Four prominent characters were printed on the vehicle: Iron Curtain Security.

Several personnel in uniform work clothes were hurriedly moving sealed boxes out of the building and into the vehicle, their expressions slightly tense.

A text message from Ghost popped up on his screen:

【Iron Curtain Security Company, a private supernatural organization registered in Fluorite Valley. Its public business is recruiting transcendents, handling supernatural incidents, and offering high compensation to transcendents.】

【It has been confirmed that this company is one of the Glory Association's peripheral organizations. Its primary function is to use high benefits to lure, screen, and trap independent transcendents, who are then shipped to related laboratories as experimental subjects.】

【Should we just charge in and kill them?】

Yue Shi nodded and set down his glass. He retrieved several items from his extra-dimensional space, all of which bore hazardous material labels.

"I grabbed these while I was looting Lab 0."

"This is a high-concentration biological toxin; inhaling just a bit causes rapid organ failure. This one is a potent nerve-paralyzing smoke."

"And this one... a potion that amplifies nerve sensitivity, making one's perception of pain dozens of times stronger."

He picked up the bottle containing a murky purple liquid and shook it gently, a cruel, cold light flashing in his eyes.

"I don't want the people inside to die too comfortably."

Just then, several black sedans sped toward the building, screeching to a halt in front of Iron Curtain Security.

Over a dozen men and women quickly exited the cars and rushed into the building with grim expressions, seemingly having been recalled for an emergency.

Yue Shi calmly used a napkin to wipe his mouth, put his "little gifts" back into his space, and then stood up, strolling casually toward the restaurant exit.

The female clerk behind the counter had a dull, empty look in her eyes, as if she didn't see Yue Shi leaving at all.

It wasn't until the restaurant's doorbell chimed that she snapped out of it, blinking and looking confusedly at the seat Yue Shi had occupied.

"Huh? When did that customer arrive? And when did he leave? Did he pay the bill?"

The thought had just crossed her mind when—

Boom!

An explosion sounded from across the street.

The clerk looked over in horror to see thick smoke billowing from the entrance of Iron Curtain Security.

Through the drifting dust and smoke, a figure with long, flowing hair was slowly stepping inside.

The clerk swallowed hard, her face turning pale.

Without the slightest hesitation, she abandoned her post and ran toward the restaurant's back door as fast as she could.

As an ordinary human struggling to survive in this era, she understood a few simple truths: don't stick around to watch the show, stay away from trouble, and run immediately when danger appears. A job wasn't worth her life.

...

Inside Iron Curtain Security, chaos reigned.

"Who's there?"

"This is Fluorite Valley! The Investigation Bureau will be here any minute!"

"You're asking for death! Take him down!"

The company members' reactions weren't slow. Various attacks were launched toward the figure at the entrance.

But to Yue Shi, attacks of this level were no different from an itch.

"There's poison in the smoke! It's a potent anesthetic!" someone shouted in panic after accidentally inhaling the mist, feeling their limbs go numb.

"We can't stay in an enclosed space! Quick! Break out!" A young man, seemingly a minor leader, covered his nose and mouth. He fought off the dizziness and ordered those who could still move to charge toward the exit.

He was the first to rush for the door, and then...

Bang.

A crisp gunshot rang out.

A bullet pierced his shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air.

"Aaah!" the young man screamed, losing his balance and falling forward.

Bang.

Another gunshot.

This time, the bullet took off the top of the young man's skull.

The screaming stopped instantly.

At the same time, several others trying to rush the door were shot.

Without exception, they were all hit in the head. Blood and brain matter instantly stained the floor at the entrance.

"This guy is coming for us specifically! Running is useless! Everyone attack him together!" someone roared from within the smoke.

"Take this!" A sharp blade-light tore through the air, aiming straight for Yue Shi's throat.

Yue Shi didn't even flinch. The blade struck an invisible barrier and shattered.

The smoke eventually triggered the building's fire suppression system.

Sprinklers on the ceiling began to rain down water.

The droplets quickly diluted and cleared the anesthetic smoke from the air.

Visibility gradually returned.

"Wait, isn't he that guy?!" someone pointed at the door and gasped.

Everyone's eyes focused on him instantly.

They saw Yue Shi standing alone, leaning against the doorframe with a malicious smile, quietly watching the prey that had fallen into his trap.

"It's you? The S-rank wanted criminal, Yue Shi!" someone identified him with a trembling voice.

The name "Yue Shi" carried immense weight, crashing down on everyone's hearts.

His reputation was terrifying!

Chijing City had fallen, everyone in the Chijing City Investigation Bureau had been murdered, and countless ordinary citizens had died as a direct result. Each incident was enough to make anyone's blood run cold.

Many present didn't understand why this bringer of calamity had come for them.

Had Iron Curtain Security ever offended him?

Was it too late to apologize and pay compensation?

But some who were in the know turned pale instantly.

They were well aware of the company's shady dealings and its myriad connections to Lab 0.

Not long ago, Yue Shi had not only destroyed Chijing City—which had deep cooperation with the Glory Association—but had also wiped out Lab 0 and even posted a video of Manager Su being tortured on the Supernatural Forum. It was clear how much Yue Shi hated them.

Iron Curtain Security was being subjected to collective punishment.

"So what if he's an S-rank wanted criminal? This is our territory!"

"Right! We have the numbers! We can take him down by sheer force!"

"No matter how strong he is, he's just one person! Everyone, charge! Kill him!"

After a brief moment of terror, the desperation of being cornered took over.

A burly man let out a roar, his body expanding rapidly. Hard scales covered his skin, and his head distorted and transformed into a hideous fish-headed monster.

The monster bellowed and lunged at Yue Shi.

With someone taking the lead, the others' ferocity was ignited. They activated their abilities one after another and swarmed toward Yue Shi.

Just as the fish-monster's fist was about to strike.

Yue Shi's figure vanished from the spot.

A second later, he appeared like a ghost beside the fish-monster.

He pressed his five fingers together, his fingertips glowing with a faint, eerie black light as he easily pierced the scaly, hardened skull.

Then, under the horrified gaze of everyone present, Yue Shi exerted force with his arm.

Crack!

The sound of a skull shattering rang out clearly.

Yue Shi had actually, through sheer strength, ripped the still-roaring fish head right off its neck.

The headless, massive body stumbled forward a few steps before crashing down, blood geysering from the severed neck.

The scene was brutal to the extreme.

The courage that had just flared up in many was instantly extinguished. A bone-chilling cold crawled up their spines.

But it was too late to retreat now; they could only grit their teeth and push forward.

Yue Shi strolled leisurely, weaving through the crowd.

Various attacks landed on him, but all were easily deflected.

His counterattacks were simple and efficient—a wave of his hand created spatial rifts to banish people, or his claws slashed across throats.

Some saw the situation was hopeless and tried to escape through the windows.

But as they shattered the glass and jumped, they were horrified to find themselves back inside the room, emerging from another window. They couldn't get out!

Space had been distorted.

Yue Shi watched the group of people whose faces were written with despair, letting out a delighted laugh. "Jie jie jie~"

"This place has been sealed by me. None of you are getting away."

The demonic voice filled their ears, making their scalps tingle and their hearts sink into hopelessness.

...

While Yue Shi blocked the entrance on the first floor and carried out a one-sided slaughter, Ghost, possessing the plush bear, was performing an efficient cleanup on the second and third floors.

Compared to Yue Shi's blood-soaked brutality, Ghost was much more "kind."

Most of those who died at his hands were killed with a single strike, suffering little pain before they died.

Killing without torture—he really was too kind.

In a corner of an office piled high with documents, a man who had one foot severed and was at death's door sat leaning against the wall. He glared at the plush bear with eyes full of malice and resentment.

"You... what on earth are you? When did Iron Curtain Security ever offend you?" he asked hoarsely, wanting to understand before he died.

Ghost, controlling the plush bear, replied coldly, "Don't you know exactly what kind of business you've been running?"

"Luring independent transcendents and then treating them like cargo, sending them to laboratories to be used as disposables."

"Since you had the guts to do such things, don't be afraid of the day someone comes for revenge. This is exactly what you've earned."

The man froze upon hearing this.

Then, instead of showing remorse, an extremely mocking smile appeared on his face.

He looked at Ghost as if looking at a clown and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! So that's who you are. A lab subject who got away and came back for revenge!"

He laughed so hard he could barely breathe, his eyes filled with a twisted sense of triumph.

"Since you're a lab subject, then our deaths aren't in vain. Even if you kill every last one of us today, you can't change the fact that you were once an experimental subject."

"You will live in trauma forever! You'll never escape those cruel memories! The shadow will follow you for the rest of your life!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned hideously. "A bunch of idiots. Did you really think there's such a thing as a free lunch?"

"Guess why we offered better benefits than the Investigation Bureau to recruit fools like you?"

"Hahaha... ugh, gack... wh-what is this?"

As he was laughing maniacally, Ghost pulled out a small bottle, forced the man's mouth open, and poured the viscous purple liquid inside.

A second later.

"AAAAAH!!"

The man's scream seemed to surpass the limits of human pitch.

His entire face distorted into a grotesque shape from the extreme agony.

Mucus, tears, and saliva flowed uncontrollably, covering his face.

His muscles spasmed violently, and every nerve felt as though it were being repeatedly pierced and stirred by red-hot needles.

He had never imagined that such pure pain could exist in the world!

Crack.

The plush bear hacked off his other intact leg.

The man was in so much pain he couldn't even make a sound anymore. He could only gape like a fish out of water, twitching violently, each breath bringing a new wave of torment.

The plush bear looked down. "Laugh. Why aren't you laughing anymore?"

"I liked you better when you were being arrogant."